Long Time, No See - Levi x Reader (Modern!AU)

12 - Help from Hange

"So," I mused, mindlessly scribbling on a piece of paper laid flat on the table before me, "you know your uncle." Levi's unamused gaze found me quickly, a sidelong look that expressed his distaste of the topic at hand with not even so much as a word uttered from him. "Do you know anything about the rest of your family?"

It was quiet, then. With his hand still, and my voice now silent, it was far too easy to hear what was going on outside. It was a cool fall day, yet late in the season. The leaves had finally all fallen from their branches, and earlier Levi and I had been sent out to rake them up.

So now here we sat, with blistered hands, flushed cheeks, and cold fingers, listening to the other kids ruin the fruits of our labor. Our hard work ruined, because they wanted to jump in the leaf piles. Ah, well. It wasn't our fault that there hadn't been enough bags for them.

All it meant was that we would be told to do it again, likely getting out of doing our chores after dinner. So that was fine, for me at least. We at least worked well together.

Levi's voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Do you?"

"Know anything about my family?"

"Yeah. That."

"No," I answered truthfully. "Just my name, and that I was left here when I was a baby. Technically, I could find my family if I wanted to, but... I'm not really sure if I..."

"I get it," he responded quietly. "You don't need to explain it."

"And you don't need to answer if you don't want to," I said to him, scribbling over a doodle. "I was just thinking about it, and maybe you can find your family too, if you wanted. But don't feel pressured to answer or anything."

"I want to," he said quietly. But then he went quiet, and I stayed quiet as well, to offer him the time and space he needed to work up to his answer. I knew how personal things tended to be delicate matters to discuss with him, and I wasn't about to make him feel obligated to answer.

I kept my eyes on the paper as I doodled more and more, just mindless little things that gave my hand something to do while I waited for him to speak. And after another silent moment, he did.

"I only know his name," Levi responded finally. "Kenny."

I put the pencil down and gave him my full attention. Honestly, I hadn't expected him to answer, after how long it took him to find his words, few though there were. Usually he brushed aside my pestering. If he was willing to be more open with me, whether overall or just in this one instance because he felt generous, I wasn't about to waste this chance. 

And I certainly wasn't going to badger him to say more, or dare complain about how little he did say, because even those few words were precious enough.

"So when you get adopted, can you even find him again? There are probably a lot of people named Kenny out there."

Levi's focus shifted from me, landing instead on the table. "Ackerman. That's his last name."

"That narrows it down, then. Ackerman," I tested the name out on my tongue. It sounded good. It was a strong name, it fit him. Sounded... formal, almost. Important. It was a strong family name, and one to be proud of. Only... he didn't seem to be.

"It's not mine," Levi said before I could speak again, as if knowing exactly what I was thinking. "He's my uncle but all I know is that he knew my mother. So... it might not..."

"He might be your uncle on your dad's side, you mean," I said, "so it might not be your mother's surname. Or maybe it's the other way around, so it's not your formal family name, right? Oh, or he might even be completely unrelated, like a close family friend you only call your uncle?"